Policemen stand guard as a Belgian Army Mine Clearance Department van arrives inside the security perimeter around the police building in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi following a machete attack on August 6, 2016 | Virginie Lefour/AFP via Getty Images

Military deployed beyond Brussels following Charleroi attack

Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel said Sunday the country has deployed military forces beyond Brussels and said the attack against two policewomen is being treated as a "terrorist assassination attempt."

On Saturday, a man wielding a machete shouted “Allahu Akbar” and wounded two officers outside the police station in the city of Charleroi, which is about 60 km from Brussels and was a base for some of the terrorists involved in the November Paris attacks.

The federal prosecutor's office on Sunday identified the assailant only by the initials K.B. and said he was a 33-year-old Algerian national who lived in Belgium since 2012. K.B. was known to police for criminal acts, but not for terrorism. He disobeyed two orders to leave the country from the state secretary for asylum and immigration.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility, saying K.B. was a "solider" who acted "in response to calls to target citizens" of countries involved in the U.S.-led coalition bombing the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, according to AFP, citing the Amaq News Agency.

The police searched two houses overnight in the district of Charleroi, but released no further details.

Michel declined to specify other security efforts being taken but said authorities are assessing "any additional measures for the safety of police officers ... As they are now, too, a target."

The terror threat level remains unchanged at three out of four.

Charleroi police spokesman David Quinaux said Saturday that the attacker was at a security checkpoint outside the police station when the attack took place. The third officer who shot him happened to be standing nearby.

The assailant arrived at the police station with a backpack, pulled out the machete and attacked the two police officers. No other weapons or explosives were found at the scene.

One officer sustained deep wounds to her face. Belgian media reported that her injuries are not thought to be life-threatening and that she has undergone surgery. The other officer escaped with minor injuries, according to local police.

“Everyone feels compassion for the two women who were injured of course, but also for the policewoman who had to make use of her weapon because it’s not always easy to shoot someone,” he said.

Some Belgian media have published the names of the two women, however, Charleroi Police asked the media to refrain from it.

Belgium has been on edge since it emerged that many of the terrorists involved in the November 13 terror attacks in Paris in which 130 people were killed had links to the country. In March, terrorists killed 32 people in suicide attacks in Brussels.

This story was updated to add the latest details.

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Tom Cullem

Europe and Belgium particularly has been ignoring the ticking time bomb in its midst for a very long time. Germany ignored the warnings of its intelligence officers when it swept in 1.5 million from apposite cultures that it did not have the will or resources to vet properly. Britain opted for multiculturalism and sold its own cultural framework out in less than 50 years.

Europe, in fact, is doomed if it does not wake up and start taking steps to save itself, starting with suspending Schengen for five years, cleaning out Calais after declaring that the regulations in place are no longer fit for purpose (they were never meant to enable engulfing Europe with Africa and the Middle East), securing its external borders, ceasing all immigration for five years, and re-establishing the primacy of the European social and cultural framework.

A culture that cannot and will not defend itself, no matter what reason it gives, is due for replacement. Europe has seen the warnings on the wall for several decades and ignored them. The price looming before it for cowardice, denial, cynicism, and indifference, is demographic and then cultural erasure. Europe still has a narrow window of opportunity to retrieve itself. I doubt it will take advantage of it, which is tragic, but there is a choice.

Posted on 8/7/16 | 3:23 PM CET

ddh

@Tom Cullen
Unfortunately I agree – brain washing has gone so far that Western Europe is not able to defend itself as all real solutions are not “politically correct”. Political correctness will be maintained at a price of more and more slaughtered Europeans. I think next move will be not defending EU citizens but more and more brutal pushing by Berlin/Brussels countries which are safe so far (Central European ones like – Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, etc.) to accept so called “refugees” so that people start being murdered also there. Because if current state of affairs is maintained citizens of Western European countries may finally start asking questions why they are dying on the streets while citizens of Central European countries are safe. Such situation will not be acceptable from political point of view in the long run and conditions all over EU will have to be made equally bad for everyone.

Posted on 8/7/16 | 8:42 PM CET

Drake

I visited Brussels last year for the first time in thirty years and was stunned at how like an Islamic country it looked. Every Muslim wore traditional dress with the odd European scattered amongst them. Burkhas wee very common and large beards too! I know not all Muslims are terrorists but the numbers mean white Europeans were clearly outnumbered. Only problems ahead I fear as the majority will no doubt demands greater islamification. I won’t be back, it isn’t safe